The Broken Halo

Simon understood what Commander Marek was trying to accomplish.

He wanted to make use of him.

Before the invasion, Black Horn had watched Simon closely. Its operatives had observed his movements, officials had examined him longer than necessary, and more than one demon had tried to understand the mysteries and oddities surrounding him.

Depending on what Black Horn discovered, Simon could have been arrested, imprisoned, kidnapped, or killed before he ever reached Earth.

However, the invasion was very close and Marek had chosen the more useful option.

Use him first.

Simon looked down from the broken support structure beneath Sunshear. Ironcrest was the first watchtower to fall, its commander was dead, and its strongest weapon had been cut apart. Before the Runemasters had even finished their work, Marek had already found another failing position and placed it in Simon’s hands.

Ammor’s core today.

Perhaps another core after that.

Then another weak point once the previous one was repaired.

He was sure that Marek intended to squeeze as much value as possible from him during the first crossing.

Simon’s expression remained indifferent, but his eyes grew colder.

He could not fault the logic.

If he commanded the invasion and possessed a weapon like Assault Core Seventeen, he would also send it wherever the battle was closest to collapsing.

That did not mean he had to enjoy being the weapon.

A soft pulse came from his War Tag.

[IRONCREST DEPLOYMENT CONFIRMED]

[LOCAL FORMATION — ACTIVE]

Below the tower, Black Horn’s reserve unit had already reached the lower gate. Demons flooded into the abandoned trenches and spread toward the walls, replacing his assault core that had conquered them.

Simon stepped off Sunshear’s support.

Wind gathered beneath his feet and lowered him into the courtyard, where Sonya, Akaza, Virella, and Rellis had assembled.

”Marek gave us another order,” Simon said.

Sonya folded her arms.

”What now?”

”We are assisting Assault Core Nine at Frostveil Watchtower.”

Virella’s brows rose slightly. Rellis looked toward the northwest, but Sonya’s expression changed first.

”Ammor’s core?”

”Yes.”

The short Kragh’s lips slowly curled downward.

”That oversized coward.”

Akaza leaned against a broken section of wall and glanced at her.

”He is neither hiding nor running at the moment.”

”He has been hiding from me since the tests,” Sonya replied. ”He insulted this Honourable, then made sure I never had the chance to teach him a lesson.”

”Maybe he has good instincts.”

Sonya turned her blind eyes toward Akaza.

”Do you want me to teach you another lesson first?”

Akaza smiled despite the pain in his side.

Simon looked at Sonya.

”You will not hurt Ammor.”

Her head turned toward him immediately.

”What? Why? He insulted me.”

Simon shook his head.

”Unless he attacks you first, you will not harm him.”

”I disagree,” Sonya said immediately.

”We are being sent to strengthen his core, not reduce its numbers.”

”He is large. I can remove a few pieces without reducing much.”

Simon’s lips could not help but twitch and even the lips of others twitched too.

”No,” Simon said.

Sonya remained silent for several seconds, then she clicked her tongue.

”Fine. This Honourable will try.”

”Try properly.”

”I said I’ll try.”

Simon knew that was the most reliable promise he would receive from her, so he decided to let her be.

Virella looked from Sonya to Simon.

”Why do we have to help another assault core? We have already completed our assignment, and Akaza is injured.”

”I can still fight,” Akaza said.

”That was not my main point.”

Rellis nodded.

”Her main point is that being rewarded for succeeding so early with more work feels suspiciously similar to punishment.”

Akaza glanced at Sonya.

”It is because she destroyed a street to retrieve her ring from some thieves.”

Virella’s left eye twitched.

”Thieves?”

”A pickpocket stole-”

”This Honourable helped Velmora and Black Horn in the end,” Sonya interrupted. ”I removed a group of pests who loved hiding beneath the city.”

Virella stared at her with slightly wide eyes.

”You destroyed a street because thieves stole from you?”

”They were rebels.”

”That does not make the street a rebel.”

”The street helped hide them.”

Virella’s lips twitched.

Rellis lowered his head, but his shoulders shook once.

Akaza gave Sonya a flat look.

”You also killed civilians.”

Sonya’s expression darkened.

”They should not have been there.”

”They lived there.”

”That sounds like poor city planning. The leaders of Velmora needs to be taught properly by this Honourable.”

”Enough,” Simon said.

The conversation stopped immediately.

”The three of us accepted an oath because of what happened that day. Marek’s order falls within its terms. Ammor’s Runemasters carry four Chaos Bellows needed for the large-scale array. If they fail, Frostveil remains under human control and the northern side of the foothold remains exposed.”

Rellis released a quiet sigh.

”So we truly have no choice.”

”We have choices,” Simon replied. ”Refusal is simply the worst one.”

Sonya cracked her knuckles.

”Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let’s go save the big coward and weakling.”

Simon’s gaze moved toward Akaza’s injuries.

”You will remain behind if your injuries worsen.”

Akaza pushed away from the wall.

”I defeated someone stronger than me while suppressed. I can reach Frostveil.”

Simon watched him for a moment, then nodded.

He did not intend to take unnecessary risks for Ammor, but leaving a member of his core alone at Ironcrest while Black Banner agents might be moving through the battlefield created a different risk.

They would all go.

Simon turned northwest.

Three point four kilometres separated Ironcrest from the split ridge beneath Frostveil’s second defensive terrace. Between both positions were human trenches, broken roads, artillery lines, and thousands of combatants.

It was not a short walk.

Wind gathered around Assault Core Seventeen.

”Stay close,” Simon said. ”We move quickly.”

They left Ironcrest together.

Far from the fallen watchtower, the Carpathian Front’s main command tent remained crowded with suspended screens.

Each one showed a different section of the mountain basin.

One displayed the rift and the shattered first defensive line. Another followed the battles in the air. Eleven others showed the roads and watchtowers still resisting the invasion.

Ironcrest’s screen was marked by a pulsing black symbol.

Mara Veles stood at the head of the floating map. Tomas Radu remained on her right, one hand resting near his sealed spear. Pavel Orsic watched through the six transparent lenses circling his head, while Ilona Serrin and Dorian Kest studied casualty reports and troop movements.

Yet their attention gradually settled on the same screen.

Five demons had emerged from Ironcrest.

The one-horned demon led them, followed by the short blind demoness, the wounded Martial Demon, and the two elemental fighters.

They did not descend toward the rift. Instead, they turned northwest.

Pavel enlarged the image. Formation lines and distance markers appeared over their path.

His expression became grave.

”They’re leaving Ironcrest.”

Mara’s metallic eye focused on the route ahead of them.

”Where are they going?”

Pavel followed the projected line to the next watchtower.

”Frostveil.”